


My True Love Gave to Me

by Miss_Princess_Blake



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: 12 Days of Christmas, Artist Clarke Griffin, Christmas Fluff, F/M, If You Squint - Freeform, Minor John Murphy/Raven Reyes, Minor Monty Green/Harper McIntyre, Pining, carpenter bellamy blake, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:01:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28063605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Princess_Blake/pseuds/Miss_Princess_Blake
Summary: Clarke Griffin never used to love Christmas, at least not as much as most people did. But that all changed when she adopted her daughter, Madi. With the adoption official, Clarke decided to move them away from her Big City life in Boston to a small town that her friends Murphy and Raven lived with their family. It just so happens, their neighbor across the street has just moved out and it is now for sale by her brother who lives next door. She is so excited to start her new life. Even if her new neighbor is proving to be... a bit of a complication.Come along for 12 days of mystery gifts, our favorite princess finding a new path for her life, and maybe just a little bit of romance!
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Comments: 77
Kudos: 58





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! And with more Bellarke much sooner than I expected. If all goes according to plan, there will be a chapter a day until Christmas. I hope you guys have fun with my goofy, sweet, Christmas fic.
> 
> For reference, this was actually loosely inspired by Hobby Lobby's 2020 holiday commercial. So that's a thing.
> 
> Happy Holidays everyone <3

If Clarke was honest, even when she was a child she had never gotten particularly excited about the holidays. Sure, she enjoyed putting on a costume to Trick-or-Treat or go to a party, getting gifts and eating yummy treats on Christmas, or watching the fireworks on July 4th. But her parents had been very busy people, her mom the head surgeon at Massachusetts General and her father a head engineer at a major biotech firm. Even when they were home they weren’t really there and both could leave at the drop of a hat. Her mother missed more than one Christmas due to an emergency. Her father tried his best despite having only Christmas day off, and when he had died she and her mother stopped trying.

They still celebrated, of course, but only in the strictest sense of the word. There was a Christmas tree, Abby bought candy that was set in a bowl outside the door on Halloween, and even Easter they usually at least had deviled eggs or something. But it was all just a passing effort, mostly out of habit and social normalcy. So when Abby passed away a few years ago Clarke stopped trying altogether. What was the point, really, when she was all alone?

That all changed two years ago when she began volunteering at the local community center. It wasn’t much, just a once a week art class for kids from the foster system that lived in a group home nearby. But it made her feel just a little less alone in the world, watching these kids have fun and create what could maybe pass as art. It was here that she met Madi.

Madi was an enthusiastic but guarded eight-year-old, who had lost her parents in a fire the year before. She had gone to a couple of homes but it didn't work out with either one. Still, the girl was clearly strong and as happy as could be expected. And she got along well with Clarke nearly immediately. It wasn’t long before she knew what she had to do.

Though far from a conventional host, Clarke had plenty of money and enough room in her home and her heart for the girl. So she decided to foster her. Madi was thrilled, if a little reserved. It was just three weeks before Christmas and, for the first time in a long time, Clarke felt there was something to celebrate.

Madi’s shyness evaporated when she realized Clarke didn’t have a Christmas tree.

“Clarke,” Madi said, in a tone halfway between bored and exasperated that only pre-teens could master, “you can’t _not_ have a tree. It’s Christmas.”

Clarke was amused. “Alright, then let’s get a tree. How about I let you pick?”

Madi’s eyes went wide and the next day they picked the biggest tree on the lot that would fit in Clarke’s flat. Madi was thrilled.

After that, it was easy to start loving the holidays. It was hard not to with an excited child in tow. Clarke began making fun crafts for every holiday, getting Madi involved too. They didn’t do things exactly traditionally, but they made it their own. When Clarke asked her on Christmas the next year if Madi would like to stay with her for good they both cried.

It took several months but it was on Halloween day that the call came in from Anya, Madi’s caseworker. It was official, Madi was Clarke’s daughter. It was the happiest day of their lives.

As soon as the papers were signed, though, Clarke came to a conclusion and went to talk to Madi about it.

“Hey hun,” Clarke said as Madi set the table. “Can I talk to you for a minute? Nothing bad, promise.”

Madi paused, suspicious, but then nodded. “Ok, what’s up?”

Clarke smiled and sat down, motioning for Madi to do the same. “Well, I’ve been thinking. I think I’ve told you I used to have a lot of friends who lived here in the city. I grew up in Boston.”

“Yeah,” Madi said with a smile. “Like Uncle Murphy and Harper and Wells.”

“Exactly,” Clarke said, smiling fondly. “Well, the thing is, they all got married and had kids. When they did, they decided they wanted to live somewhere where their kids could ride bikes, walk to school, make lots of friends. It’s harder to do that in a city so they all left. I stayed at the time because I didn’t have those kinds of needs and I liked the city.”

“Do you not like the city anymore?” Madi asked, tilting her head.

“I do,” Clarke admitted, “but not as much as I used to. I’m not much for bars or dating or nightlife these days. I love you and I want to make sure we can have the best life we can. I’m lucky because I can do my work anywhere and don’t have to stay here. So what do you think? Do you feel like getting out of the city?” 

Madi tapped her chin as she thought, a habit she had always had. Finally, she smiled and nodded. “That does sound fun, especially if it means I can get a bike.”

Clarke laughed and shook her head. “Well maybe if you behave really well Santa will get you one.”

Madi rolled her eyes and got up to finish setting the table. “Clarke,” she whined, drawing her name out dramatically, “there’s no such thing as Santa.”

Clarke ruffled her daughter’s hair and laughed. With the decision made, she knew it was time to start making some solid plans. After doing some research on the suburbs around Boston, she kept being drawn back to the little town of Northhampton, about two hours outside of the city. It just so happened to be where Murphy and Raven had moved when they found out they were having twins nearly seven years ago.

After a couple of glasses of wine, once Madi was in bed, she decided to call her oldest friend. Murphy picked up after one ring.

“I feel like the only reason you would be calling me is someone died,” Murphy said in place of a greeting. “Considering you have known me nearly three-quarters of my life and know I hate talking on the phone I can only imagine it’s something that dire. If it’s not I’m hanging up and you can text me.”

“Nice to talk to you too, Murph,” Clarke teased.

Murphy sighed dramatically. “Clearly no one is dead. Alright, out with it, what do you need?”

Clarke laughed. “I can’t just be calling my oldest, bestest friend.”

“Who are you calling old?” Murphy quipped back.

Clarke laughed again, even louder. “You are such an asshole,” she said. “You do know that right? Your children are doomed.”

“That’s why I leave Raven to raise them and I just make them,” Murphy said.

“I heard that,” Raven’s voice came through the phone, far enough away to be muted but still clear as day with fond disdain.

“But honestly, Griffin,” Murphy said, voice a bit more serious, “what’s up? You never call me. Did something happen with Madi? Is she ok?”

“Everything is fine,” Clarke promised. “I actually wanted to talk to you about the possibility of my moving to Northampton.”

“Oh really?” Murphy said, surprise lacing his voice. “What happened to the Clarke Griffin who swore it would take a nuclear apocalypse to get her to leave the city and maybe not even then?”

Clarke chuckled, but her eyes drifted unconsciously toward Madi’s closed bedroom door. “Yeah, well, a lot changes when you become a parent. Priorities change.”

“Don’t I know it,” Murphy replied. “Alright, so Northampton. What do you want to know that you haven’t googled already?”

“Well,” Clarke said, glancing at her laptop which was opened to pages of rentals, school ratings, and local restaurants, “I guess I should start with where to live. I know I’ve visited you a few times but other than your neighborhood I don’t know much.”

“There isn’t much to know,” Murphy told her. “It’s a small suburban town like any other in Massachusetts. Good schools, low crime, lots of good food. Downtown has a lot going on, especially this time of year. Lots of families here, especially where we live. It’s not the cheapest place in the world but compared to downtown Boston it will feel like you are the princess we know you as.”

“Thanks, asshole,” Clarke quipped.

“Anytime,” Murphy shot back, the grin evident in his voice.

“But really,” Clarke said, scrolling through the town’s website, “where should I even start looking? Do I want to be close to the City Center? Or what about the Florence area? I don’t think I want to be too close to the college. There are just so many choices.”

“You really have done your homework,“ Murphy teased. He was quiet a moment before he responded further. “Look, I might actually have a solution for you, depending on how you feel about it.”

Clarke heard him clicking away on his phone screen a moment before her phone dinged with an email notification. She quickly pulled it up on her laptop.

What she finds is a listing for half of a duplex. It has three bedrooms with two and a half baths, a good size kitchen, and even has a small backyard area. It’s not a mansion or anything, but compared to her little flat in the city it feels enormous. She is already having daydreams about the dog they could get with all that space. It’s even less than her price point.

“Murphy this is perfect,” Clarke exclaims eagerly flipping through the photos.

“You haven’t even seen the best part yet,” Murphy said, sly. “Stick the address in google maps.”

Clarke did as she was told and laughed. “This is literally across the street from you and Raven.”

“See?” Murphy drawled. “Best part. Me.”

“You fall somewhere on the list I guess,” Clarke joked back.

There were some shuffling sounds from the other end of the line and a bit of swearing, but then Raven’s voice came on the line. “Holy shirt,” she said, censoring herself and making Clarke laugh. “Does this mean we are going to be neighbors?”

Clarke looked at the first photo. The photo must have been taken recently as the little as the front walkway and A-frame roof was covered in a dusting of snow. The exposed brick exterior and white picket fence made the place feel so cozy, almost like it was straight out of a commercial or something. While it wasn’t what Clarke had ever pictured for her life, there was something about it that just felt right. Resigned, she sent in a request for the next day to tour it and, if all went well, start the process of buying her new home. Clarke smiled and sipped her wine.

“I think it does.”

Due to a twin “emergency” involving some toy dispute on Murphy’s end, the call didn’t last much longer. She did learn that the owner who was selling was actually the man who lived in the other half of the building. His sister had lived there but had recently gotten engaged and moved in with her fiance. The owner’s name was Bellamy.

It wasn’t long later that the man in question responded back, confirming her appointment time and remaining the application in case she wanted to come with it already filled out to save time. She shook her head with a laugh. He was either very practical or very presumptuous. Either way, she found it amusing and a bit charming.

Clarke went to bed, more excited than she expected.

The next day, after getting Madi dropped off at school, Clarke made the nearly two-hour trek out to Northampton. It was odd being behind the wheel f a car. Living in the city didn’t give her much chance to. Luckily it was a warm day so the roads were clear and she could just enjoy the scenic drive. Living in the city, sometimes she forgot just how much nature there was around her. By the time she arrived, she was committed to giving her daughter a different view of life than she had gotten so far.

Getting out of her car, she was greeted by an incredibly handsome man with inky black curls peeking out from under a floppy, forest green beanie sporting a black pea coat and chunky, military-style boots. He smiled at her, making his freckled cheeks dimple, and her mouth went dry.

“You must be Clarke,” he said, holding out his hand. “It’s so great to meet you. Welcome to Northampton.”

Clarke just recovered her manners enough to shake his hand in return. His hand was warm on her own. “And you must be Bellamy. I’ve got to admit, I am already kind of in love with this house.”

Bellamy laughed and his warm, chocolate eyes shone with mirth. “Well, that’s certainly good to hear. Raven basically told me I had to do whatever it took to get you to move in here, so it looks like my job will be easy.”

“I guess it will,” Clarke said, following him into the open townhome. She chastised herself on her flirtatious tone, but really, she couldn’t help herself. Just look at him!

Still, she did her best the rest of the tour to tone it down. Not that he didn’t seem to be flirting back, at least a bit. But she knew better than to pursue this. She wanted to buy this house, she wanted to build a life here. The last thing she needed was to screw it up because of a silly crush on some guy.

So she kept it as professional as she could. Still, she couldn’t quite help herself as she was turning in the application at the end.

“Thank you, Mrs. Griffin,” Bellamy said, taking the papers from her and signing where he needed to before he could send it to the realtors for processing. “I very much look forward to having you move in.”

“I’m excited too,” she told him, looking up at him through her lashes. “Oh. And by the way, it’s Ms.”

With that, she walked away, ready to get over to Murphy’s for lunch. But she couldn’t help one last smile over her shoulder where a clearly flustered but smiling Bellamy was watching her walk away.

Clarke was in so much trouble. Yet a part of her couldn’t bring herself to mind.


	2. A Partridge in a Pear Tree

It had been a few weeks since his new neighbor, Clarke, had moved in with her daughter. In that time, Bellamy had gotten to talk to her a handful of times. When he would leave to walk Orion, his over enthusiastic chocolate lab, Clarke would be unloading some boxes from her car. Or Bellamy would be on his way to his woodshop in town and she would be just getting in from errands.

No matter how busy they both were, they made a point to take a few moments to chat. That’s how he learned a few things about her. 

When Clarke was getting back from a run to the city to wrap up some paperwork with the adoption agency about the change of address, she told him that Madi was her adopted daughter and it had only been official for a couple of months. One time Bellamy caught Clarke in threadbare overalls, paint covering her hands and a smudge across her cheek, she told him she was an artist who made custom logos and signs for businesses and had been hired to create one for the town’s Christmas market.

With each new thing he learned about her the more intrigued he became. This beautiful woman who was a wonderful mother, a great friend to Raven and Murphy, and smart as a whip with a smile that knocked the breath right out of his chest.

Still, though, the last thing he needed right now was a crush on his new neighbor. For one thing, Bellamy didn’t have much luck with relationships. Gina had left, in search of bigger adventures than the homebody in Bellamy was ready for. Echo had barely been here a year before she decided she couldn’t be with someone who chose his sister over her. And that’s not including all the girls that he, admittedly, had a lot of fun with but rarely lasted more than a month or two at best.

On top of that, Clarke had a kid. Madi may have been a bit older but she was new in Clarke’s life. He didn’t need to be an extra new thing in the girl’s life when it seemed unlikely, based on his record, that they would last.

Unfortunately, his heart didn’t seem to be getting the message as his crush just kept persisting and, if anything, was growing.

So, to help distract himself, Bellamy threw himself into work. It wasn’t like he didn’t have a lot to do. As the resident carpenter and one of the few in the region to take custom orders, Christmas was always his busiest time of the year. The last couple of weeks he had been getting to his shop an hour or two before opening and staying late into the night.

It was one of his early mornings, as he walked Orion before he left, that he ran into Clarke and Madi.

“Orion!” Madi exclaimed, immediately dropping down to scratch his belly and ears, the dog lapping up the attention.

Clarke laughed. “Good morning, Bellamy.”

“Morning Clarke,” Bellamy said with a warm smile for the pair, “and good morning to you as well, Madi. Where are you two headed this early in the morning?”

Clarke sighed. “Somehow Rex and Luca convinced Madi that a breakfast playdate on a Sunday was a good idea. At seven in the morning. When I could be sleeping.”

Bellamy smirked. “Not a morning person I take it?”

“Morning’s are fine,” Clake replied, hiding a yawn behind her hand. “I just prefer them inside with a large cup of coffee and my feet propped in front of the fire, preferably with a horrible Hallmark movie on in the background.”

That image made Bellamy laugh out loud and Clarke blushed a bit. “Well, hopefully, you can get home soon and find something ridiculous to watch.”

“Oh yes,” Clarke said, sighing. “Thankfully Luca’s mother, who is apparently a morning person, agreed to take care of them today. Which means I get a blessedly quiet morning with no preteens complaining about the unbelievability of my Christmas movies.”

“Hey,” Madi said, grinning up at Clarke, “it’s not my fault you have such terrible taste in movies. At least watch the ones on Netflix. Not white people almost kissing.”

“That’s Nicholas Sparks, not Hallmark,” Clarke quipped back.

“Whatever,” Madi said, “they are all boring.”

The girl went back to playing with Orion and Clarke’s attention snapped back to Bellamy. “Oh, I’m so sorry. We totally distracted you. Are you heading off to work early again? That’s the fourth time this week.”

“I’m surprised you’ve noticed,” he said with a smile, making Clarke blush again.

“It’s hard not to when your car starts in our shared driveway before the birds have even woken up,” Clake teased.

“To answer your question,” Bellamy said, “yes I am off to work. But no, I don’t mind being distracted by you.”

Clarke bit her lip and smiled. “Well, either way, it’s probably for the best if we get going.”

“Same here,” Bellamy said, calling a reluctant Orion back from Madi. “I’m glad I got to run into you though.”

“Me too,” Clarke admitted, a bit shyly. The pair began to walk off before she turned back briefly. “Have a good day, Bellamy. Don’t work too hard.”

“I’ll try,” he told her. “Bye Clarke.”

And with that, the girls made their way down the sidewalk. Bellamy watched them go a moment or two before heading on his way. He had quite a bit to get done today if he wanted to close up for the last couple of weeks of the year like he planned. As he backed out of the driveway he started planning out what he needed to do for Ravens gift which was first on his list. He let out a breath and did his best to not let his thoughts stray to a certain cute blonde.

It was many hours later, long after the sun was down, that Bellamy’s day ended. Today had been brutal. Mayor Kane had been by with a request to fix the manger from the town’s nativity scene, people had been in and out all day to pick up their orders, and he still hadn’t quite finished all of the things he needed to get done before he closed shop for the year.

Days like today made Bellamy question his decision not to go back to college after Octavia graduated high school and instead keep working as a carpenter.

The career had started as nothing more than a job. Raven was working at the mechanic’s shop and Bellamy helped their now and then for some extra cash. One day her boss, Sinclair, was talking to a man named Charles Pike. Pike built houses around town and had recently lost his apprentice. Bellamy had always been pretty handy with building things. His mom never had much money so if things broke it fell on Bellamy to fix them.

He took a chance and told Pike as much. The man studied him for a moment before nodding, agreeing to take Bellamy on. That had been nearly fifteen years ago. They had worked together for five years, Pike teaching him everything he knew. Bellamy learned a lot. But eventually, he found that the big, corporate jobs weren’t who he was. What he did find was he was great and making nice things.

So, with a bit of help from Pike and all the savings he had, Bellamy opened his own shop in the city center, with a store in the front and his workshop in the back. He took on everything from dollhouses to furniture to people’s decks. It took a while to get off the ground but now he had a bustling business.

He loved it but damn if it wasn’t exhausting.

Bellamy groaned when he parked his car and stretched. Orion was going to be so hyper. He was just hopeful that he could get away with a bit shorter of a walk tonight. If his nights kept being like this he was going to have to hire Charlotte to come to walk the excitable lab twice a day as opposed to the once she did now.

Stepping on his porch, Bellamy is a bit distracted by his thoughts. So distracted that he nearly missed the small package sticking out of the top of his mailbox. However, the shiny red paper and curly green bow were kind of hard to miss and he stopped, grabbing the gift. It had the number one on the front but nothing else.

Turning it this way and that, it didn’t take long to realize there was no note or card attached. He looked around as if the sender would just appear from the bushes or something.

“Huh,” Bellamy said furrowing his brow as he clicked open his door, studying the box. “How weird.”

As expected, Orion ran full speed into Bellamy’s legs. The mysterious package would have to wait.

Thankfully, Orion seemed satisfied with just ten minutes tonight. Which Bellamy was grateful for because it had dipped down into the teens that night and he felt like a popsicle already. Making their way back on their porch, he swore he saw the curtains of Clarke’s upstairs window flutter, as if someone had been looking out and had moved quickly. He shook his head, sure he had imagined it.

When he got back inside and hung up his coat, he grabbed a beer and the package. He took a moment to light a fire, which Orion immediately curled in front of, and Bellamy settled on the couch with his little mystery.

He had the brief thought that maybe it was something dangerous. But it didn’t have any postage so it must have been left by someone local. With a shrug, Bellamy tore off the paper and opened the box inside. What he found was not what he had expected, if he had been expecting anything at all.

There, lying in protective paper, was a Christmas tree ornament. It was about the size of his palm, with a green and white circle around a red background. And in the center was a tree with what looked like pears and some bird.

Bellamy sat back, studying it, confused. It was pretty, if not a little weird. He had no idea where it could have come from. Maybe Kane’s mother, Vera, was passing ornaments out to the townspeople? But then he didn’t know why she wouldn’t have included a note of some kind. The whole thing was odd.

He had a moment where he wondered if Clarke- but no, that would be crazy. He just had her on his mind was all.

With a sigh that quickly morphed into a yawn, he decided he was too tired to think about it tonight. Bellamy downed the rest of his beer and stood, hanging the little bid ornament on his Christmas tree before putting out the fire and heading to bed.

The mystery of the strange little ornament would have to wait for another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo! Mysterious gifts, more flirting, and a major crush? What more could you ask for this holiday season.
> 
> So, who do you think left Bellamy the gift? Leave your guesses in the comments!


	3. Two Turtle Doves

If someone had told Clarke a few years ago that she would be living in a small town with her daughter, spending her days entertaining eleven-year-olds and binge-watching Netflix Christmas movies, well she probably would have laughed in their face. And yet, Clarke found she was the happiest she had ever been.

She would never claim she had a bad life growing up. She was insanely lucky to have two parents who loved her and worked hard to give her a beautiful life filled with every possibility. But the fact was, her home was neer a particularly festive one at any time. It never felt like something was missing exactly, but now it just felt like something special had been added.

They had been in their new home a few weeks and the place was finally starting to actually feel like a home. They had gotten a bunch of new furniture since Clarke’s old place had been furnished but she had loved having the opportunity to make the place her own. She had even gotten Madi involved for as much as a preteen could care about couches and dressers.

Madi was thriving here as well. She had already made good friends with Rex and Luca down the road and loved spending time with Murphy and Raven’s kids and her pseudo-cousins, Elijah and Leo. Even though the twins were a few years younger than Madi, she loved spending time with them whenever Raven was watching her.

In fact, for someone who had always been such a diehard Bostonian, Clarke found that the worst parts of her week were those where she had to go back to the city. Just a few weeks in suburbia and suddenly the city seemed too crowded, too busy, and lacking any charm. She still loved Boston and she would fight anyone who said otherwise, but it just wasn’t home anymore.

A certain curly hair, cocky smirking, charm the pants off her kid, gorgeous neighbor was certainly a part of the town’s appeal.

It was on one of these such mornings, as she headed out for the city that she ran into said neighbor.

“Hey there,” Bellamy said, “fancy seeing you here.”

Clarke rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, who would have thought we would meet in our shared driveway.”

“Who’d have thought,” he teased back. “So I take it you are headed back into the city again. More adoption stuff?”

“Nah,” Clarke said, leaning against the side of her car. “Thankfully that’s all settled now. My lawyer has it handled as far as paperwork and filing and such. No, this time it’s business. I still have a handful of long-term clients in the city. Most of what we do can be done over the phone or email, but sometimes I have to take measurements or do installations of my pieces. Even with pictures and floor plans, it can be hard to actually picture a space you aren’t in.”

“I get that,” Bellamy said, nodding thoughtfully. “Most of my custom work is like tables or little figurines. But when I have to do a deck or a built-in piece I always insist on going there in person.”

“God, exactly,” Clarke said, letting out a long breath. “My friends don’t get why I make such long drives just to look at a wall.”

“But it’s not just a wall for you,” he said. “It’s a canvas, a building block. You have to know the structure and the surroundings and how the light hits to really get a sense of how it’s going to be when it’s done. You may be brilliant but you can only see so much in your head.”

Clarke grinned at him. “You really get me, Bellamy Blake.”

The man flushed and cleared his throat. “Well, art is art. Yours may be more creative and mine more practical but they have the same basic needs. And I’ve always been good at giving people what they need.”

While Clarke was sure he hadn’t meant the double entendre, she couldn’t help her mind going straight to the gutter. She just barely suppressed a groan.

“Speaking of our art,” Bellamy said, scrubbing a hand through his hair, “I actually do have to go. I only have a couple of pieces left before I’m taking a much-needed vacation and one of them is for Raven.”

“Oh for sure,” Clarke said, with a faux solemn tone. “A very pregnant Raven is not someone to trifle with.”

The side of Bellamy’s mouth twitched up into a half-smirk and his eyes twinkled with mischief. Clarke’s stomach flipped. “Well, then I guess it’s time to let you go.”

Clarke licked her lips but could not tear her eyes from his. “Such a shame.”

Just then a car horn honked down the street and it was like reality came crashing down around her ears. She realized for at least five minutes she had not been aware of anything else but him and, at some point since they began speaking, they had gotten very close together. But the sound of the horn seemed to break the spell and they both took a step back.

Still, she smiled when he opened her car door for her.

“Have a safe drive, Clarke,” he said pausing a moment before closing her door for her and heading towards his own car.

She took a steadying breath before pulling out of the driveway.

The drive gave Clarke a chance to clear her mind but she actually ended up spending most of the trek thinking about him. She would be lying if she said there wasn’t something between them. He was gorgeous, that much was obvious. And it was so easy to talk to him, it just felt natural. It felt like she had known him forever. He was funny and kind and even did really well with Madi.

The problem was, in addition to all the wonderful things Bellamy Blake was, he was also a complication.

For one, he was her neighbor. She had such a wonderful new home and she would hate to screw that up by things not going well with the person immediately next door. But then there was Madi. The adoption had just barely gone through and Madi had hardly been with her two years. As well as Bellamy got along with her, the last thing she wanted was to give her daughter even more upheaval in her life.

No, love was just not in the cards for her at this point in her life. So Clarke decided to throw herself into all things Christmas and wrapping things up with her work in the city. She really did love the new life they were creating and she couldn’t wait to see where it went from here.

By the time she got back from the city that night she was resigned to put a bit of distance between herself and Bellamy. Friends were safe and things would have to stay there.

As she pulled into her driveway, the only things on her mind were the new gifts she had gotten and making sure she got them wrapped and under the tree before Madi got home from Luca’s later that afternoon.

With her mind full of thoughts of wrapping paper and bows, Clarke made her way up to her porch with arms full of bags and boxes. Just before she got to the door, however, she was stopped short by the sight of her mailbox being open and a green ribbon dangling out. It was the shimmery fabric fluttering lightly in the breeze that caught her attention and made her furrow her brow.

One thing about Northampton is it was nothing if not predictable. Which meant she couldn’t understand why she would have a delivery a solid three hours before the mailman’s usual time. But Clarke loved a good mystery and she grinned at the prospect.

Thoughts of wrapping abandoned, Clarke quickly stowed her treasures away in her closet to be dealt with another day before making her way back to the porch, taking two steps at a time. She was too intrigued to wait any longer than she had to.

When she made it to the mailbox and looked inside, she found a small box with an elaborately drawn two on the front. It was wrapped in sparkly green paper and decorated with a fancy red felt bow. Opening it, she wasn’t sure what she would find, and yet she still found that she was surprised by its contents. Sitting in a little bed of sparkly, white gauze was a Christmas tree ornament. Made of white felt, there were two little birds with a heart-shaped button on their body and a wreath of holly around their neck. The birds were strung together with a red and green bow which dangled from a hook, perfect to twist and turn on her little tree.

After admiring the handiwork of the ornament, she turned back to the box. There was no writing on the outside besides the two and no note. She checked the box once more to see if it had fallen out but it was empty as well.

“How odd,” Clarke said, looking at the little birds again.

Who would have left her a Christmas ornament?

She was still admiring her new little mystery gift as she headed into Raven’s house to pick up Madi.

“Whatcha got there?” Raven said from her perch on the recliner near the front door.

The woman’s feet were up, no doubt swollen this late in the pregnancy, and she was wrapped in a tinsel colored sweater with bauble earrings. Clarke barked out a laugh at her friend before clamping a hand over her mouth.

“Yeah yeah,” Raven said, rolling her eyes. “You laugh it up now, but I’m telling you, between my twins, your munchkin, and the brats I’ve apparently also adopted it’s lucky I got away with this little Christmas cheer. They have been ‘decorating’ each other all day.”

“Well then I guess I’m in for a festive surprise,” Clarke teased, sitting down on the couch.

“They’ll get you too,” Raven warned, “you’ll see.”

“Oh hey,” Clarke said, “do you know anything about someone giving out Christmas ornaments? Like around the neighborhood?”

Raven shrugged and shook her head. “I’m assuming that’s what you were admiring when you walked it?”

Clarke handed over the little ornament for Raven to examine. “It’s the strangest thing. I got home from Boston a bit ago and there was this cute little box with a 2 on it and then I open it to these two little birds. I have no idea where it came from. There wasn’t a note or anything. I just thought maybe it was some weird Northampton tradition or something.”

Raven snorted. “We may be a small town but this isn’t Gilmore Girls. No, these came to you specifically.”

Clarke sighed and took the ornament back, placing it back in the box. “That’s what I figured. Any clue as to why?”

“Not a clue,” Raven shrugged.

Before they could speculate further, Madi, Rex, and Luca came bounding around the corner. Luca was covered in red and green glitter eyeshadow, Rex had a tinsel and garland braided crown, and Madi’s nose was painted red and she had antlers on her head.

“Well, hello there my little Christmas musketeers,” Clarke said with a smile, happily accepting the fairy light headband they presented her with.

“Clarke, can Luca and Rex come over for pizza and hot chocolate and watch the new Minecraft movie?” Madi said so fast Clarke nearly missed it.

“As long as both of their parents say it’s alright then it’s fine with me,” Clarke said with a smile.

“Yes!” Luca exclaimed.

“Come on,” Rex replied. “My phone’s in the playroom upstairs. We can text them!”

As the three barreled out of the room, Clarke smiled over at Raven. “Guess it’s my turn to get festive. I can even take the twins if you want an afternoon to yourself before Murphy gets home?”

“He’s actually already home,” Raven told her. “He got off work a little early today, something about starting the holidays early. Either way, he’s in the back making a snowman with the boys. You could ask him if you want?”

“How bout you just have him send them over when he’s done if you feel like it,” Clarke replied.

“Man,” Raven said, standing to give Clarke a hug before she left, “where were you when I was three months less pregnant and just wanted to jump Murphy’s bones all the time? You would have been a lifesaver.”

Clarke laughed heartily. “How about this? When Sierra is born and not needing your boob every 5 minutes you can send me all three and get to work on the next one.”

“Oh no,” Raven said. “This is it. That man's super sperm is being tied up. I’m done. Besides, we will be out of bedrooms.”

“We’ll see,” Clarke teased.

When the kids reappeared with confirmed permission from their parents, the monthly crew made their way back to Clarke’s living room. After getting them settled, she went to her tiny little tree by the door and hung the new ornament there for everyone to see.

It made her smile. Something about it just made her feel, more than ever, she had finally found her home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! So now they are both getting gifts. But who could they be from, and what is the reason? Stay tuned and find out!


	4. Three French Hens

“Don’t worry about it, Charlotte,” Bellamy said into the phone pressed against his shoulder as he fumbled to get his keys in the lock. “It’s not like I think you got the flu on purpose. I’ll figure it out. Feel better soon.”

Bellamy sighed as he hung up the phone. Charlotte had been walking Orion for him since the lab was a puppy. Whenever Bellamy got busy with work and knew he couldn’t make it back for a midday walk, Charlotte would come over and take care of him. Though Bellamy suspected they did more playing than walking but, either way, it helped get the dog’s energy out and helped prevent any unfortunate accidents.

But she had called, just as he was heading out the door for his shop, with a bad case of the flu. She would likely be down for at least a week. He was just going to have to find a way back home that afternoon.

As he headed down the driveway for his car he couldn’t help a glance over at Clarke’s place. That's when he got an idea and went to knock on her door.

“Just a minute!” Clarke’s voice called from inside, the sound of something dropping and a muttered swear before she finally opened up. “Oh! Bellamy, good morning.”

Bellamy couldn’t help being charmed when she began to straighten her sweater and smooth the crazed frizz in her hair. He grinned. “Good morning Clarke. Sorry about the unexpected visit. Do you have a second?”

“Sure,” she said, “what’s up?”

“Well,” he admitted sheepishly, “I actually wanted to see if I could ask for a bit of a favor. See, my normal dog walker came down with the flu. Usually, when I work the long days near Christmas and she’s on break from school she comes over in the afternoon and makes sure he has water and gets let out. I wanted to see if Madi might like to fill-in?”

“Yes!” Madi hollered, crashing her way from the kitchen to the door before turning to her mom. “Clarke can I please? It would be so much fun!”

“It’s a big responsibility,” Clarke said. “It’s not just fun and games. Are you sure you are up for it?”

“I can do it I swear!” Madi begged.

Clarke and Bellamy’s eyes met, as she clearly fought a smile. He gave her a wink.

“Oh fine,” Clarke said, heaving a sigh. “Just remember, you have to do it every day until she gets better or Bellamy isn’t as busy.”

Madi threw her arms around Clarke’s waist. “Thank you!”

Bellamy laughed at the girl’s enthusiasm. “Well, then I guess that’s settled. The key is under the mat and the leash is hanging by the front door. And I’ll let you in on a secret.”

Madi’s eyes were big as he took in his words. He got down on her level and smiled. “It is mostly just fun and games.”

Madi giggled and then ran up to her room. “I have to tell Luca. He’s going to flip.”

“Man,” Clarke said, “you would think she was excited or something.”

“Maybe a little bit,” Bellamy teased back. “Either way, thanks for the help. Or letting her help I guess.”

Clarke blushed. “Anything for you.”

The air was thick between them and they were quiet before she cleared her throat and he scrubbed a hand through his hair.

“Well I better-” he stuttered out

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want you to be-” Clarke started.

They both stopped talking before bursting into fits of laughter. When they calmed down Bellamy put a hand on her shoulder and she leaned in.

“I’ll see you soon,” Bellamy said, running a hand down her arm.

Clarke bit her lip, looking up at him through her lashes. “Well don’t work too hard.”

Bellamy smirked. “Well if I don’t then who’s going to make sure all of Santa’s gifts are finished on time?”

Clarke rolled her eyes and giggled and Bellamy just knew the sound would stay with him the rest of the day.

And what a day it was. Between getting the finishing touches on Raven’s gift for Murphy done, hand-delivering some toys that had been ordered by a local charity for a group home in Boston, and helping people who came in and out throughout the day to pick up gifts and place orders for the upcoming year.

Just as Bellamy was thinking he might get work finished before the sun went down, the bell over the door rang and the Mayor walked in. Bellamy couldn’t help his groan. He should have knocked on wood the second he had the thought of an early escape. It wasn’t like it was in short supply around here.

“Mayor Kane,” Bellamy said with a tight-lipped smile, “how can I help you today?”

The Mayor at least had the forethought to look guilty before he likely dropped a bomb on Bellamy’s whole week.

“Good evening Mr. Blake,” Kane said. “I’m sorry to drop in on you so late but, the thing is, we are having a bit of a crisis.”

Bellamy just stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He did smile at the man good-naturedly though, even though he already had a feeling he knew what was coming. “What do you need, Mayor.”

“Well,” he replied, “as you know, the Christmas Market is just around the corner. And as always, that beautiful stable set you built us for the Nativity scene is the centerpiece of the whole thing.”

“Please tell me the stable didn’t break,” Bellamy groaned.

“Thankfully nothing quite that dire,” Kane said with a smile. “Your work is exemplary, as always. If only it had been you who created the manger, we might not be in the situation we are in.”

Bellamy laughed and shook his head. “I guess it could be worse. Go ahead and bring it around the back of the shop and I’ll take a look.”

“Thank you, Bellamy,” Kane said. “I’ll make sure you are paid handsomely for this. Free entry for you and any guests to the market as well!”

“Saves ten whole dollars,” Bellamy said under his breath when the other man was out the door.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like the damage was too bad when he assessed it. He could make it hold for the time being. He told Kane as much and the man beamed.

“But Marcus, you really should have a brand new one made,” Bellamy explained as he wrote up a ticket for the repairs. “I can make fixes that will get you through the holiday but this thing had wood rot and the base isn’t nearly as secure as it should be.”

Kane shook his head and ran his hand over his beard. “Alright. How about we chat about that after the holidays. Maybe when the weather is a little drier. Then we can know we are all set for next year.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Bellamy said.

“Thank you as always,” Kane replied. “And I do hope to see you at the market this year. Maybe even with a friend. That new neighbor of yours perhaps?”

Bellamy forced himself not to blush or smile too much at the thought. He opted to just ignore it “Marcus, I haven’t missed the market in years. I’m not about to now.”

“Alright,” he said. “Well, I guess I’ll see you soon then.”

“I guess you will.”

After the Mayor was gone, Bellamy closed up the front store and turned the lights off. Without interruption, he figured he should be able to get the repairs done in a couple of days, plenty of time for the market’s opening day.

As he worked on stripping the wood and taking measurements, his thoughts began to drift. Before he realized it, as happened often lately, they had drifted to Clarke. Honestly, it was really Kane’s fault. The idea of bringing her to the market hadn’t even occurred to him. Hell, she probably didn’t even know it was happening.

The more he thought about it the better of an idea it seemed. They seemed to be starting to be friends. It’s not like friends couldn’t go to an event together. Besides, she was new to town and was just learning what they did here and meeting people. Really, he was just being neighborly.

Even as he drove home, he couldn’t get the idea out of his head. He was sure she and Madi would enjoy it. Resigned, he decided he would ask her the next time he saw her.

Pulling into his driveway, Bellamy couldn’t help but smile. Regardless of his somewhat ill-advised crush, he really was rather glad Clarke had moved in. She was funny and smart and kept him on his toes. If nothing else, she was going to be a great friend.

As he reached his door, however, his thoughts of mulled wine and Christmas markets with Clarke were soon replaced with confusion.

For the second time this week, there was a small package sticking out of his mailbox complete with the same shiny red wrapping paper and curly green bow. When he took it out, he found that he was unsurprised that this box too featured no note and nothing written on it aside from the number three.

Bellamy furrowed his brow. The first day he had gotten a one but today was a three. Conceivably, the day before would have been a two but he hadn’t gotten anything yesterday. Still, something about the little presents made him smile. He had always liked The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew growing up. Now he got his own little Christmas mystery.

Like the night before, Bellamy took Orion for a final little walk, got his fire going, and opened his gift.

This time, while still an ornament, it was slightly different than the last. Though Bellamy noticed with a roll of his eyes, they had continued with the bird theme. The ornament was not flat like the last had been, but instead featured what looked like three chickens on a basket or nest of some sort. It was made of metal and elaborately painted with a bit of holly painted below the animals. It was surprisingly pretty if he was being honest.

Yet Bellamy still had no idea where these ornaments were coming from. It seemed such an odd thing to be handing out and the skipped numbers on his boxes seemed so specific. As he stared at his new little birds, he couldn’t help wondering what it all was about.

After hanging the new edition on his tree, not far from the first one, he laid back on the couch with Orion’s head in his lap.

This was certainly turning into the most interesting Christmas he’d had in a very long time. He was excited to see what happened next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me or is someone catching feels? So what do you think will come of this? Any new guesses? I hope you enjoyed it!


	5. Four Calling Birds

Clarke stands on her front porch, wrapped in a snowflake adorned cardigan, and watches as the delivery van drives off. When it is out of sight she lets out a deep breath and smiles. After weeks of movers and deliveries and decorating and unpacking, she is pleased to be able to say her new home is finally done.

Well, at least done enough.

The best part is that it is just in time. Harper had called the day before to let her know that she and Monty were going to be in Boston until Christmas visiting Monty’s family and they were hoping to see her while they were here. Clarke had enthusiastically said yes.

While Monty was going to be visiting his friend Jasper in the city during the day, Harper would be bringing their son Jordan over to hang out with Madi. Though they had met the once last year during Christmas they hadn’t really gotten a chance to hang out. But they were about the same age, him being just barely thirteen, and she hoped they could be friends. Then later that night Monty would head over and they would all have dinner and catch up.

Harper was one of Clarke’s friend’s from college. Originally, when Clarke had been premed at Boston University, Harper had been her roommate. They had gotten really close until Clarke had switched majors. After having a kid her sophomore year, Harper had gone on to be a neonatal nurse at a big hospital in California, marrying college sweetheart Monty, and they had been happy as can be ever since. She and Clarke kept in touch and always found time for each other when one or the other was nearby.

Clarke was excited to show off her new life.

About an hour before Harper was set to arrive, Clarke’s doorbell rang. Thankfully she had already gotten ready and was just loading up the crockpot with the dinner for later, so she had time. Her smile only grew when she opened the door to Raven’s beaming face.

“Ok,” Raven said, hugging Clarke before letting herself inside, “why does your house smell so damn amazing?”

“Hello to you to Raven,” Clarke teased with a laugh. “I have some friends coming over tonight. I’m not sure you ever met them, Harper and Monty? I knew them from BU.”

“Oh I loved Harper,” Raven said. “She was at your Christmas party a few years back. The first one where you made us all wear pajamas.”

“That’s right!” Clarke exclaimed. “I forgot she made it that year. They just so happened to be in town. I think you two even got paired up on that weird Christmas corn hole Jasper brought.”

“We did,” Raven nodded. “It was fun crushing Monty and Murphy. They never stood a chance.”

“Especially after all that jingle juice,” Clarke said, making them both laugh.

Jasper was another college friend, basically a brother to Monty. The man was a chemical genius which was great for his career prospects but not so great for all of their liver. His greatest achievement, if you asked him? Perfecting the art of bathtub gin.

Clarke shivered at the memory.

“The fact that he has managed to stay alive this long is baffling,” Raven joked. “But hey, I don’t want to push in if you have company coming. I was just bored and the twins are over at a friend’s today so I thought I would stop in.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Clarke assured her. “In fact, why don’t you stay? We can have a good, old-fashioned, girls’ day. Harper and I were already planning on making cookies and watching Love, Actually. I’m sure she would love it if you joined.”

“Are you sure?” Raven said, a crease in her brow.

Clarke grinned and wrapped her arm with Raven’s. “Absolutely. Now let’s go figure out what ridiculous things we can stuff in cookie dough. You’re pregnant, I’m sure you can find something crazy.”

The girls had a great time setting up cookie making stations as they waited for Harper to arrive. They were just chopping up some candy canes to mix with white chocolate when the doorbell rang.

Clarke quickly ran over, threw open the door, and engulfed her friend in a hug.

“It’s so good to see you,” Clarke said into a mouthful of Harper’s hair, the sound muffled. “I can’t believe how long it’s been.”

Harper hugged her back just as enthusiastically. “I’ve missed you so much. And look at this place! It’s like you are a real, live, grown-up now!”

“Thanks for that,” Clarke laughed and smacked her friend lightly on the arm. “I’ll give you the tour later. Where’s Jordan?”

“He’s just getting our gifts from the car,” Harper explained as she finally extracted herself from Clarke’s embrace and started taking off her coat and scarf.

“You didn’t have to get us anything,” Clarke said, touched.

“Oh hush,” Harper said. “You know I love buying people things. Besides, if you claim you don’t have something for me I’m going to call you a big fat liar.”

Clarke grinned. “Maybe I have a little something for you both.”

Harper smirked, triumphant.

“Hey guys,” Raven said, a bit tentative, from the kitchen.

“Oh hi!” Harper said, going to hug Raven as well. “I didn’t realize you would be joining us. What a great surprise!”

“You sure it’s not me just being a big intrusion?” Raven questioned.

“Not at all,” Harper said, shaking her head and holding Raven’s arms. “I have always been a ‘the more the merrier’ type. Besides, there is no world in which me, Clarke, and a couple of preteens need to eat that many cookies.”

“I’m a teenager, mom,” Jordan’s voice came from the door, where he was currently doing an impressive eye roll.

Clarke laughed. “Of course you are, come here you old man.”

She folded him into a bear hug which he tried to wiggle out of but she could tell he was pleased. When she pulled back she looked him over. “You have gotten so tall! Ok, ok. I won’t fuss. Why don’t you go on upstairs, second room on the right is the den. I know Madi has the PlayStation set up so you guys can play… something.”

Jordan beamed and then raced from the room, just barely remembering to hand the gifts off to his mother before he hit the stairs.

“Just be glad you have a couple more years until Madi is a teenager,” Harper said, shaking her head fondly.

The girls got to quick work on the cookies, laughing and joking around. Within a couple of hours, they had a disaster of a kitchen, plates upon plates of cookies, one movie already watched and had settled into the living room with the kids to watch Rise of the Guardians.

As the sun went down, Monty arrived. Raven was going to leave but Clarke convinced her to stay. They even called the twins and Murphy over who had gotten home from work by then.

They all sat around, enjoying the pot roast Clarke had made and the rest of the cookies. They told stories of their lives since they had last seen each other, talked about raising kids and life away from the big city, and it was the most at home Clarke had ever felt.

Still, there was a part of Clarke that felt a bit… lonely.

She was thrilled that she had Madi and her wonderful friends around her. It wasn’t that she was alone. But she knew as she watched her friends, that none of them would have an empty bed tonight. They had these wonderful husbands who adored them and they got to share life’s burdens with. Clarke didn’t have that.

It wasn’t that she thought she needed to be married to be happy. She knew that wasn’t true. But she couldn’t help but want that. Someone to help her wash the dishes after dinner, to talk through her fears about parenting with, to hold her at night when it was cold. Clarke wanted to be in love again. Maybe it was time to take another risk.

She was less surprised than she thought she probably should be when Bellamy’s smiling face popped into her mind. She smiled into her wine glass and Raven tapped her with her foot, giving her a questioning look. Clarke just shook her head.

As the night finally came to a close, Harper was the first to leave. They had a long drive back to the city and it was supposed to get icy later that night. She promised to visit again soon, Clarke promising the same. Ever since Madi found out that Harper lived near Disneyland she had been dying to go.

When they stepped out on the porch, Harper glanced to the side and furrowed her brow.

“Oh,” she said. “It looks like you got a package. I wonder when that arrived.”

Clarke smiled, recognizing the wrapping from the other day. “How did we miss someone bringing that.”

“I didn’t hear anyone come up,” Raven said. “Although we did have the Christmas music pretty loud before. Was it there when you got here, John?”

Murphy shrugged. “I didn’t see anything. What is it, anyways?”

“Well,” Clarke said, careful not to tear the number four that had been intricately drawn on the green paper. “If it’s anything like last time then my guess is it’s an ornament.”

“You’ve gotten these before?” Monty asked.

“Looks like Griffin has gotten herself a secret Santa,” Murphy quipped. “Or should I say, secret admirer?”

“Shut up, Murphy,” Clarke said, rolling her eyes.

Clarke was surprised when she opened the box and found not one but four little birds. They each looked like a different type of bird and they were all knitted with colorful yarn. Each bird was perched on a little stick. Clarke laughed as she showed them off to her friends.

“I’ll say this much,” Raven said, “whoever your secret admirer is certainly is creative.”

“And you swear it wasn’t you?” Clarke asked.

“How could it have been?” Raven replied. “I was the first one here.”

Clarke sighed and hung the little birds on her tree. Much more of this and she was going to run out of room. “That’s a solid defense. I guess the mystery continues then.”

“Well keep me posted on your mystery gifter,” Harper said as they finally headed out.

“I will,” Clarke said, “bye guys!”

And with that raven and Murphy left as well. With Madi already back upstairs getting ready for bed, Clarke looked around her home and sighed. She really did feel lucky for the life she had now. It was more than she could have ever imagined.

It just felt like, maybe, one thing was missing. And maybe that one thing just so happened to be right next door.

She smiled at the thought as she turned the lights off and headed upstairs. She would just have to wait and see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is pining, everyone is intrigued. Did you miss Bellamy this chapter? Don't worry, he'll be back tomorrow. Until then, I hope you enjoyed seeing some new familiar faces! Can't wait to hear your thoughts.


	6. Five Golden Rings

There was something unbelievably satisfying about hanging the closed sign on the front door of his shop as he walked his final customer of the year out. Ever since Bellamy had opened up he always made sure to close the business portion of the shop down a week before Christmas at midday. While it was inevitable he would wind up in the back a few more ones finishing up this and that, keeping his doors closed meant that his late nights were coming to an end and it was all just wrapping up a few things.

From now until the fourth of January Bellamy was taking a well-earned break. He would enjoy it before getting back for all the orders for wedding pergolas or baby cradles that inevitably came after the Christmas declarations. Until then, he had big plans of doing a whole lot of nothing.

He couldn’t wait.

The good news was the repairs on the manger for Kane were not as extensive as he had thought. After closing down he only worked for about another hour and was done for the day. Washing the sawdust from his hands Bellamy smiled. He was good and truly done.

Admittedly, he should probably clean. But the best part about it being his space is if he wanted to say screw it and wait until tomorrow there was no one to tell him he shouldn’t. So, with light a shred of guilt, he loaded the manger into the back of his truck and headed for city hall.

Unsurprisingly, Kane overpaid him and loaded him with tickets for the market. He even threw in a couple of drink vouchers. Bellamy was very grateful if not a little embarrassed. But he took them with a smile and headed out into the fading December light.

Just before getting to his car, he couldn’t help but notice a very familiar head of blonde curls tucked into a purple beanie heading the other direction. Bellamy smiled and hurried to catch up with her.

“Clarke!” he called out, jogging down the sidewalk. 

She startled a bit as she turned but her expression warmed into a smile when she realized it was him.

“Bellamy,” she said with a smile. “What are you doing here?”

“Just dropping something off for the mayor,” he said with a smile.

“Oh look at you all fancy,” Clarke teased. “Doing favors for the mayor. I’m not nearly good enough to be friends with you.”

Bellamy beamed. “But I so enjoy being yours.”

Clarke’s face nearly instantly flushed a pale pink which was rapidly becoming his favorite color.

“Well, what about you?” he asked her. “What brings you into town on this freezing day? Lord knows I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have to be.”

Clarke sighed. “I wouldn’t be either if I had another choice. But I’ve got some Christmas gifts I have to ship at the post office, a few more decorations for our place and had to make a run to the hardware store. I’m putting together a desk for Madi in the den for when she starts school in January and I realized I didn’t own a hammer!”

You do realize you live next door to a literal carpenter right?” Bellamy chuckled. “Regardless, I commend you for your bravery. It’s like fifteen degrees out here.”

Clarke rolled her eyes. “Don’t be dramatic. It’s maybe thirty at lowest.”

“Either way,” Bellamy said, “we should probably get you out of this cold. Why don’t I show you my favorite coffee shop in town? It’s just around the corner. It will be my treat.”

Clarke hesitated for a moment before beaming at him. “Alright, why not? I’m never going to turn down free coffee.”

Bellamy smiled and led her around the corner to Grounders. They had the best coffee he had ever tried and the atmosphere was always homey and comfortable.

Luna, the owner of the coffee shop, was behind the counter today and gave Bellamy a big smile. “I see you managed to break away from the shop before I closed today. Does that mean it’s finally time for your annual vacation?”

“Yes it does,” Bellamy said, “just dropped off one of my last pieces to Kane and hung my closed sign for the season.”

“Well now that you have, do yourself a favor and try to actually stay away from your work and find something else to occupy your time with,” gina teased before noticing Clarke standing a bit behind him, eyeing the menu and trying not to seem like she was listening. Luna smirked at him, tossing her dishtowel over her shoulder. “Then again, maybe you already have.”

He rolled his eyes. “Luna, this is Clarke Griffin, newest resident to the area and my new neighbor.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Clarke said, holding out her hand. “This place is amazing.”

“I do my best,” Luna grinned, shaking her hand. “It wasn’t like my dream was opening a coffee shop in my hometown but one thing led to another and here we are.”

“Well thank god you did or we would be stuck with a Starbucks and their burnt lattes,” Clarke responded.

“Oh I like her,” Luna said to Bellamy before turning back to Clarke with an ear to ear smile. “Just for that, first ones on me.”

After they put in their order, he and Clarke settled into some squashy chairs that had just been vacated near the fire. Despite her earlier protests, it was damn cold outside. Clarke took her gloves off and held her hands out in front of the flames. Bellamy smirked.

“Ok,” she said, “maybe I was a little cold.”

Bellamy’s smirk only widened when she stuck out her tongue at him.

As the afternoon wore on, the pair got lost in conversation. It had been a while since he just got to chat with someone he genuinely liked. 

It turned out they had very similar taste in music and very different in films. They talked a bit about the differences in their childhoods (his suburbs with a single mom and half-sister to her big-city only child married parents life). They talked about her art and his carpentry. By the time the sun was setting behind the horizon it seemed no time had passed at all and yet he felt he really began to know the real Clarke Griffin.

He couldn’t remember the last time someone had been so interesting and comfortable at the same time. Learning who she was thrilled him and yet felt like coming home. 

He learned she liked her coffee black but with tons of vanilla syrup, her favorite band was Moon Taxi but she had a soft spot for Taylor Swift. She was a night owl who loved trashy teen dramas and that she would give anything to go to Rome.

When the clock chimed seven, Clarke startled in the middle of a story about breaking into a community pool with her best friend Wells and she looked at her phone. “Crap,” she said, typing something out quickly before looking back at Bellamy. “I’m so sorry, I lost track of time. I have to go. Madi is going to be home soon.”

Bellamy shook his head. “Don’t even worry about it. I totally understand. She’s your biggest responsibility and I have monopolized your whole afternoon.”

“I wasn’t exactly complaining,” Clarke admitted.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Bellamy said, grabbing her bags for her as she stood. “How about I drive us back to save some time? And maybe help prevent frostbite?”

“I still maintain it’s not as cold as you are saying,” she chided, “but I will still accept the ride, thank you.”

“Any time,” he told her.

They waved to Luna on their way out and he helped her load her things into his small back seat.

They chatted easily the entire way back and the drive felt like it ended before it began. Bellamy walked her to her door, despite her insistence that he didn’t need to.

After helping her get her things inside, with time to spare before Madi got home, he began to head for the door again. The last thing he wanted to do was overstay his welcome.

Clarke walked him to the door and smiled, leaning against the frame. “I had a really nice time today. Thank you for taking me there. Although I’m not sure how Luna felt about it.”

“What do you mean?” He asked, cocking his head.

“Oh come on,” Clarke said, rolling her eyes. “She is so clearly into you. And she thought it was a date.”

Bellamy grinned. “Was it?”

“That was not the point of my statement,” Clarke said, indignant but smiling despite it.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Bellamy said.

“No you aren’t,” she accused, even going as far as to wag her finger at him, just barely keeping in a laugh. “You are a positively awful flirt Bellamy blake.”

“You may be right,” he admitted. “Although you aren’t about Luna. She’s super awesome and we are good friends but she is very, very gay. We kissed exactly once in high school and her response was to tell me she liked Raven. They even dated for a couple years before she met Murphy.”

“Oh,” Clarke said, flustered. “Man I can’t believe my gaydar is that out of practice.”

Bellamy laughed heartily and Clarke was quick to join in. As they did, Madi pushed in between them, home from wherever she had been.

“Why are you two just laughing in the doorway?” Madi asked, shooting them a weird look.

“I was actually just leaving,” Bellamy said. “Oh, before I forget, I had a proposition for you both if you’re interested.”

“I’m intrigued,” Clarke said, hugging Madi into her side.

“Well,” Bellamy started, fighting his sudden nerves, as he ran a hand carelessly through his hair, “there’s this little Christmas Market they have downtown every year. It’s not as expansive as the ones in Boston but it highlights a lot of local artists and vendors and stuff. It’s a bit of a holiday tradition. I helped the mayor fix part of the central nativity scene and got some free tickets. I wondered if you might like to come with me?”

“Both of us?” Clarke asked, eyes wide.

“Can Orion come?” Madi chimed in.

Bellamy affected an air of seriousness. “Oh, I think he would be very cross with me if I didn’t bring him along.”

“Clarke, can we go?” Madi asked.

Clarke’s eyes hadn’t left Bellamy's, like he was a puzzle she was trying to figure out. It took her a moment to respond but her shy smile said more than her words could.

“You know what,” she said, “why not? Sounds like fun.”

“Yes!” Madi said, extracting herself from under Clarke’s arm. “I’m going to go see when everyone is going. This is going to be so fun!”

“Thank you,” Clarke told him.

“What for?” He asked.

“Inviting her, us. It means a lot.”

“It’s truly my pleasure.”

Clarke took a step back and wrapped her sweater around her. He knew then it was time to go.

“Thank you for a lovely day,” he said, stepping fully outside. “I’ll see you soon.”

She bit her lip and nodded. “Bye Bellamy.”

He couldn’t help feeling he was a bit drunk on the possibilities as he headed back towards his place. It seems his goal of putting his crush out of his mind had well and truly failed. As of this evening, he could truly say he was in real danger of falling for his incredible neighbor- and now friend.

And he couldn’t wait.

When he reached his porch and noticed the gift in his mailbox, he smiled. It was quickly becoming his new routine.

Every other day he would get home, find his gift, walk Orion, start a fire, and find out what new surprise had been left for him. By this point, he had mostly given up guessing who they could be from. Though he couldn’t help his eyes drifting towards Clarke’s door, just wondering.

But he was certain it wasn’t her. What motivation would she have? He didn’t know. All he did know was that the whole thing made him smile, on top of everything else.

So after Orion’s walk, he settled in with the box, neatly decorated with the number five on its surface. This time, however, the ornament inside was not what he expected.

Inside was a while bulb ornament that looked hand-painted with boughs of pine and holly. Weaved between the evergreen leaves was a pretty red ribbon that had golden circles dangling from them.

As he studied the art he felt some memory tug at the back of his mind but he couldn’t quite place it. Something about it was familiar but he didn’t know why.

He shrugged, too tired and satisfied from his day to worry about it too much. So he simply hung his new ornament and headed to bed.

It really had been a wonderful day. And with the promise of more great days to come Bellamy fell asleep with a smile on his face and a myriad of lovely dreams featuring blonde curls and a chorus of birds surrounding them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I'm a little late but I hope you will forgive me and love it anyway ;)


	7. Six Geese a Laying

The holidays were well and truly underway and Clarke couldn’t help herself getting caught up in the energy. She had been buying new decorations for their home when she would be at stores, listening to Christmas music in the kitchen while she got dinner ready, and couldn’t even bring herself to mind the snow that had dumped on their little town overnight. When she looked outside, it really did feel like Christmas and she couldn’t fight her smile.

At the moment, Madi and Murphy’s boys were making a snowman in the yard, with a pile of old scarves and hats and things to choose from for decoration. As she watched her daughter smiling and laughing, she couldn’t help feeling grateful that she had found this place.

When Clarke made the decision to move them out of the city it was a risk, albeit a calculated one. But now she was sure it had been the best decision for so many reasons.

While she sipped her coffee and snuggled under a blanket in her bay window, she just enjoyed the moment. Life had given them both a lot of struggles so she was just happy for moments like this where all she could feel was joy.

Despite herself, Clarke can’t help but wonder if a certain boy next door might also be a part of that joy life had seen fit to allow her. Getting coffee with him and talking to him yesterday had been nice. And it definitely seemed like he had been flirting with her a bit.

Clarke sighed, looking at her little Christmas tree. She still wasn’t sure going to this Christmas market was a good idea. Admittedly, it did sound fun. And it couldn’t be too much of a date if her daughter was going to be there and probably running around with her friends. Besides, if this had been Jasper or Monty or Murphy she wouldn’t have questioned it. She was letting her silly crush get in the way of what could be a really awesome friendship and a wonderful evening.

Besides, Madi knew about it so it wasn’t like she could exactly back out now.

So Clarke did what she did best and forced it out of her mind. She had a lot of household chores to get done that day and then dinner at Murphy and Raven’s in the evening. Raven had invited her over as a thank you for their hang out the previous day. Clarke had assured her she didn’t need it but Raven insisted she just needed more estrogen in the house. Clarke had eagerly accepted.

It was almost hard to believe how short she had lived in Northampton and how easily it had started to feel like a real home. She was beginning to meet her other neighbors, like Maya next door who had an adorable cat Madi had helped find when it escaped, Miller and Jackson down the road who were good friends of Bellamy’s apparently, and even Mayor Kane when she had been in the town square and he was handing out flyers for the market.

Everything about this place just felt comfortable and warm. As much as she loved Boston, it was hard to feel homey in a city with more than half a million people living in it. Clarke wasn’t sure she even knew anyone who lived in her old building by name outside of the landlord.

No, Northampton was the kind of place that was good for raising a family. Clarke was glad her calculated risk had paid off. She was just excited to see what else was to come.

As the evening fell, Clarke and Madi bundled up in festive sweaters they had found at Target the other day and headed over to their friend’s house. Madi was bouncing with excitement to give them their own sweaters, to complete the festive mood.

Raven was all smiles when she answered the door, wrapping Clarke with a hug. “I’m so glad you guys made it.”

“You act as if we are coming from somewhere much farther away than across the street,” Clarke teased.

“I’m just glad to not be left to my own devices anymore since John kicked me out of the kitchen an hour ago,” Raven said before turning to Madi. “Now what have you got there?”

Madi beamed and presented the boxes. “It’s a gift for you and Uncle Murphy.”

“Well,” Raven replied, “let’s go see if we can’t get my Grinch of a husband’s heart to grow three sizes today, shall we?”

Clarke laughed and took Madi’s jacket, hanging it and her own on the coat rack before following the pair into the house.

As she entered the living room she was hit with a barrage of incredible smells.

“It smells amazing in here,” Clarke said.

Clarke perched on the barstool and peered into the kitchen where a grinning Murphy was now donning a kiss the cook apron over an ugly sweater with her daughter beaming beside him. He leveled an unimpressed look in her direction and she rolled her eyes. He may act like a grump but she still remembers how in college he was always the one insisting they decorate the common room because otherwise what was the point of all that crap he found in the closet.

He was a sap in disguise.

“So what did you make me Murphy?” Clarke asked as Madi tried to help Raven get her sweater over her very pregnant stomach.

“Oh you are in for a treat,” he told her. “On the table, there are some goat cheese and cranberry bruschettas. I’ve got a prime rib in the oven that will be ready to come out in about twenty minutes, and we are having it with white cheddar and chive mashed potatoes and a raspberry and pear salad.”

“Holy crap,” Clarke said, “you are trying to fatten me up, aren’t you?”

Murphy rolled his eyes and threw a dish towel over his shoulder. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing because I’m secretly the witch from Hansel and Gretal. You caught me. Best stay away from the oven.”

Clarke rolled her eyes right back at him and stuck out her tongue making Madi laugh.

“While we wait can I get you some wine so I can live in jealousy vicariously through you?” Raven asked.

“That would be great,” Clarke said, following Raven to the table which had been set with snowman plates and cups featuring Christmas trees.

“Don’t mind the table settings,” Raven said. “They were a gift from the boys last year, picked them out themselves. Between you and me I kind of love them.”

“I love them, actually.” Clarke grinned and took her glass of wine, loading a plate with Rudolph’s face on it with a few bruschettas.

She and Raven chatted for a while as the food was finished, Murphy letting Madi be his little helper in the kitchen, and before long they were all seated with plates overflowing with delicious food. They laughed and shared stories and just enjoyed the feelings of found family. It was a lovely evening.

After Raven served the cranberry orange pound cake Murphy had made for dessert, Clarke was absolutely stuffed and allowed herself to sink into one of their overstuffed armchairs by the fire. The food and the wine had left her sleepy and sated while Madi and the twins played upstairs until it was time to go.

Clarke was sipping her wine and laughing at something Raven was saying when Murphy knocked her a bit off-center.

“So,” he said, “was I wrong or did I happen to notice Bellamy walking you home last night?”

“What’s this now?” Raven asked. “Is there something I should know?”

Clarke leveled Murphy with an unimpressed glare followed by an eye roll but she was fairly certain she was blushing all the way to her ears.

“There’s nothing to tell,” Clarke insisted, swirling her wine and not meeting the eye of either of her friends. “I was in town doing some shopping and running errands and he happened to be coming out of city hall. We grabbed some coffee, talked for a while, and then he drove me home so I wouldn’t have to walk in the cold. It’s no big deal.

“Clarke,” Murphy said, “the two of you seemed awfully chummy for it to have been no big deal.”

“He’s nice,” she insisted. “And he was just being neighborly.”

Raven snorted. “Bellamy has lived across from us since we moved here. It’s not that he isn’t friendly because obviously, he is. But I’ll tell you right now, I’ve never seen him give Maya a ride home.”

“And he was carrying her bags,” Murphy said, gesturing with enough force that wine very nearly slopped over the side of his wine glass.

“You guys are reading too much into it,” Clarke denied, shaking her head. “We are becoming friends.”

“So you’re telling me that in all those hours you were gone nothing remotely outside of the realm of friendship occurred?” Raven said.

“Let’s put it this way,” Murphy said, a look of triumph on his face as if he already knew he had won. “Would you have been surprised by any of the things coming out of his mouth if I said them to you?”

Clarke took a long drink of her wine, remembering their conversations and his invitation. Suddenly she wasn’t sure about any of it anymore. Her lack of an answer was answer enough.

“I fucking knew it!” Murphy exclaimed.

“Language,” Raven hissed. “Those kids have the hearing of an eagle, I swear.”

Murphy flipped her off and she laughed, shoving him lightly.

“Alright,” Raven said, calculating. “Whatever yesterday was isn’t that important. Here’s my question. What did you want it to be?”

Clarke looked into the fire twirling her now empty glass between her fingers.

What did she want it to be? She would be lying if she said she wasn’t attracted to him. And he was obviously smart and funny and kind. She had known about her crush for a while. But it wasn’t that simple. She had a daughter to think about and her new home. Just because she liked him and he maybe liked her too didn’t mean she could just jump in feet first.

Clarke sighed. “The truth is I’m not sure I have an answer to that.”

Raven looked at her, eyes softening, and placed a hand on her arm. “I think before we have any more conversations about what his intentions may or may not be you need to figure out how you feel.”

“She’s right,” Murphy said. “I know I give you a lot of crap but at the end of the day I just want to see you happy. And maybe he can be that for you. But you need to decide if that’s even something you are interested in and if not then make that very clear so no one gets hurt.”

“And what if it is what I want?” Clarke said quietly, finally looking at her friends.

Raven and Murphy looked at each other with a small smile before looking back at her. Raven grinned triumphantly.

“Well then, if that were the case, I would tell you to grab that man and kiss him until you forget what day it is.”

All three busted out laughing at her words. Something about the conversation made her feel lighter and at least a little less afraid. Clarke still wasn’t totally sure what she wanted but she definitely felt she had a better idea now.

As the clock struck nine, they all realized how late it was getting. Clarke grabbed Madi from upstairs, getting the surly and tired preteen into her coat and gloves before hugging her friends goodnight.

Sometimes a night of good food, good wine, and good friends was enough to help straighten out some of the thoughts in her head.

When they reached the door, Clarke smiled but was unsurprised to see a little present hanging out of her mailbox. The sight of it made Madi visibility brighten.

“Oh,” the girl exclaimed, “we got another one. Cool!”

“Do you want to open it this time?” Clarke asked as she unlocked the door and hurried inside to escape the cold.

Madi enthusiastically agreed.

As before, this box had a beautiful six on the paper and the ribbons were expertly curled. If nothing else, when she found whoever was delivering these, she had to get some pointers on how to wrap gifts because it really was impressive.

The sight of this ornament, and the way Madi’s face scrunched when she saw it, made Clarke laugh out loud. What she saw was a golden egg dangling from a bed of down feathers. Perched atop this bed, or perhaps nest was a better word, were six birds Clarke was fairly certain were geese, each wearing some ridiculous hat.

It was the best ornament she had ever seen and she hung it right in the center of the tree.

“These gifts are getting weirder and weirder,” Madi said before heading off to her room.

When she did, however, Clarke realized she was humming. It took a second to identify the song but when she did the next step of the puzzle slotted into place.

It was the 12 Days of Christmas. Of course.

Someone was gifting her ornaments that correlates to the gifts from the song. She didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of it before, though this gift was certainly the most obvious.

“Six geese a-laying,” Clarke said, shaking her head at the ridiculous ornament.

She immediately texted her findings to Raven. Although the woman’s response led to even more questions.

If these gifts were meant to represent the twelve Days, why was she only getting every other? Where were the other half?

Clarke didn’t have an answer.

As she went to bed that night she couldn’t get it all off of her mind. Between the mysterious little gifts, her ever-growing crush on her neighbor, and her meddling friends it had certainly been an interesting few weeks.

She felt like there must be some connection there. She just couldn't figure out what it could be. All she knew was she was determined, now more than ever, to get to the bottom of all of it. The problem was, Clarke wasn’t even sure where to start.

Huffing a breath, she turned off the light and fell into a sleep filled with various birds, soft curls, and a happiness she was just happy to have found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clarke's beginning to get out of her denial, huh? But now we have new players to help her on her way. And she finally figured out what was actually going on (with the help of her daughter, ofc). If only she knew who or why...
> 
> Any new theories? Can't wait to hear your thoughts!


	8. Seven Swans a Swimming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry. A lot of life happened yesterday and I didn't have time to post. But, to catch back up and as a thank you for your patience I am double posting today. I won't keep you any longer so I hope you enjoy it!

As of that morning, Bellamy was officially on holiday break and he couldn’t have been more thrilled. It seemed like every year his workload of projects people order for Christmas just kept getting bigger and bigger. He wasn’t complaining, exactly. He enjoyed the work and liked being busy. But it did make it that much sweeter when he could finally stay home and not think about measurements, varnish, or picking splinters from his fingers for a few weeks.

There was a lot he was looking forward to during his break. He had a backlog of documentaries waiting for him on his DVR, his sister and her fiance were coming back for a few days, and his best friend Miller would be visiting with his Husband for New Years. But, despite all of that, the thing he was most looking forward to was the Christmas Market with Clarke. 

Ever since he asked her, he hadn’t been able to get the image of her little smile when she said yes out of his head. The idea of sharing a cup of mulled wine, looking at Christmas lights, and strolling through the stalls sounded like the perfect way to start his vacation.

Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

The last thing on his list was just to deliver the gift that Raven had ordered for Murphy. He knew that Murphy would be gone the entire day so it would be easier for him to get it hidden wherever she wanted it. As he looked over his work one last time to make sure it was ready to go, he really was pleased with the craftsmanship. It was honestly one of the coolest things he had the opportunity to make in a while and he knew Murphy was going to love it.

The order was for a custom bar cabinet. When closed it just looked like a regular rolling cabinet. But if you opened it the insides revealed a bunch of slots and compartments and drawers for his things. It was made of a long-lasting cedar and stained with a dark cherry color to match their decor and Murphy’s style.

The man in question liked to think of himself as an amateur bartender so they had a lot of cocktail paraphernalia. Between the various bitters and cordials, liqueurs and mixers, and all the various alcohol, they needed space. With this cart, there were slots for wine glasses, and tumblers, and shot glasses, and high ball glasses. There was an area for wine bottles and a little shelf for various small bottles. It even had a drawer for all his extra accessories and a shelf for his cocktail shakers.

All in all, it was probably the best thing she could have ever gotten him.

Her plan was to set up some nice, new decanters on the top beside their aerator and a serving tray. Then she would fill it with all his odds and ends for him to explore leaving some space for anything new he wanted to add. There would be a mirror hung above it with some ambient lighting and she had even found some interesting literary prints with quotes about alcohol to hang on either side of it.

It was going to look amazing. Now he just had to get over there to help her set it all up.

So Bellamy headed out with Orion happily in tow. Every time he headed over to his friend’s house he always took the dog because he knew how much the twins loved to play with him. And Orion was happy to indulge them because it usually resulted in him getting lots of playtime and lots of treats.

Bellamy’s thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a familiar present hanging out of his mailbox. They weren’t normally here this early. He couldn’t help laughing and shaking his head at the thought. The very fact that he had gotten so used to these little ornaments that he had expectations was, honestly, a little hilarious. Either way, he would have to think about that later. He stuck the little box on top of the cabinet and headed to Raven’s.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Raven said, opening the door for him a few moments later. Orion bounded around her and headed straight for the backyard, not even giving the woman a passing bit of notice. He knew exactly where he was going at this point and Elijah and Leo were a much more enticing target.

“Just tell me where you want it,” Bellamy said, following his friend to the dining room.

“Just set it against that wall,” she said, pointing to a blank wall behind their dining table. “I’m lucky this area is still clear. Murphy was starting to get suspicious as to why I wouldn’t let him put the plants back against the wall in the dining room. The nice thing about being pregnant is you can just blame anything on hormones, but I don’t even think that excuse was going to work much longer.”

“Well I’m glad I was able to save the day,” Bellamy said, finishing getting it situated. As he did, he grabbed the little box with the seven on it and smiled. “Oh, did I tell you about my random mystery gifts?”

When he turned back to Raven her eyes were wide and her lips parted. It only lasted a moment, though, before she put on a suspiciously normal smile. “No you didn’t,” she said, voice too fast to be truly casual. “What mystery gifts?”

Bellamy narrowed his eyes at her and grinned. She knew something. “Are they from you?”

“I swear to you that absolutely are not,” Raven said, hands up. “Besides, do you really think me and my insanely pregnant belly are sneaking around giving out secret presents?”

He studied her a moment and then sighed. “No, probably not. Although I wouldn’t put it past you with how bored you are.”

“God I really am bored,” she said. “But anyways, open it. I want to see what you got.”

He smiled. “Alright, let’s see what we got today.”

The pair sat on the couch in the living room as Bellamy opened the box.

Taking out the ornament, he couldn’t help but laugh. He looked at Raven who just looked confused. “Whoever it is giving me these gifts has a thing for birds.” 

Holding up the ornament, he studies it more closely. This one was another ball-shaped ornament but with the images as a three-dimensional texture on its surface. The bumps and ridges were painted to create a scene of a group of swans floating on what seemed to be a pond or lake of some kind.

“It’s really pretty,” Raven told him. “And you said you have gotten more?”

“Yeah,” he told her as he put the ornament safely back in the box. “I’ve been getting them every other day this week. And all but one have been birds. The first one ever had some weird tree on it.”

“Not just birds,” Raven told him, smirking as though she knew something he didn’t. “Look at it. They are swans. Seven if I had to guess.”

Bellamy furrowed his brow and counted. She was right. He snapped his eyes up to meet her triumphant ones. “How could you possibly know that if it wasn’t you?”

“It’s The 12 Days of Christmas, Bellamy,” she said with a laugh. “You know, seven swans a-swimming and all that?”

This time it was Bellamy’s turn to laugh. “God, it really does pay to be friends with a genius. You put that together so fast.”

“I may have had some help,” Raven said.

“What does that mean?” Bellamy asked.

“Never mind,” Raven waved him off. “The point is, there is obviously some purpose behind these gifts. A reason for all of the mystery. Have there been any other clues?”

“I mean,” Bellamy said, deep in thought, “It is a little weird that I’ve only been getting the odd-numbered days. I can’t help wondering where the other half are, especially if it’s part of a set.”

“Well,” Raven pondered, “I assume the other half is going to someone else. Now it’s just a question of who.”

As he thought about it, he couldn’t help thinking of Clarke. There had been a time he had briefly wondered if she could be giving them to him. But now, he couldn’t help but think, maybe she was actually getting them.

“You have an idea,” Raven said. It was not a question.

“I have the start of an idea,” he admitted. “But I think, if I’m right, I need to look into this on my own.”

Raven nodded. “Well, why don’t you ponder while you help me finish setting up my husband’s gift. That is why you came after all and I assume the plan is to get it done before he gets home.”

He laughed and rolled his eyes, but stood. “You’re right. Let’s get back to work.”

So the two of them finished setting up the bar and got it done just in time for Murphy to get home.

“What is this?” Murphy said after kissing his wife and finding his gift, opening the doors and exploring its parts. “Oh, this is so cool. You made this, Bellamy?”

“That I did,” Bellamy told him.

“Well you did a damn good job,” Murphy said. “Come on, take a seat. I’ll make us some Christmas cocktails.”

“Now that is a plan I can get behind,” Bellamy agreed.

Murphy pulled his wife in and kissed her soundly. “Best wife ever. I’ll make you a fancy virgin one but as soon as little Sierra is out you get whatever drinks you want.”

Raven chuckled and kissed him again. “Your damn right I do.”

The three of them had a lot of fun, chatting and enjoying their drinks. It was a great night. But his thoughts kept drifting back to Clarke. He couldn’t help but think how much more fun it could have been if she were there too.

When the night came to an end and he headed for home, he stole a glance at her door and smiled. As he hung his new ornament on his tree he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a matching set right next door. He didn’t know what they meant but he did know one thing.

He would see her tomorrow. And from there, who knew where they could end up?


	9. Eight Maids a Milking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the promised second chapter of the day. This has not yet been blessed with the eyes of my beta so please be kind. It will be all shiny and new tomorrow, so feel free to wait if you wish. But the general story is here. It's also twice as long as the other chapter so... you're welcome? Lol just enjoy.

On the day of the Christmas Market, Clarke can’t help but be nervous. What was she thinking, agreeing to go to this with Bellamy? While she had admittedly had a great time with him the other day, it just wasn’t the right time for her to be starting anything.

In fact, she was pretty sure she had expressly told herself that she was not doing this. The last thing she wanted to do right now was screw up the first good thing she had gotten in a long time. This home, her daughter, these new friendships she was forming? They were worth more than any silly crush.

Even so, it was too late to back out now. Madi was so excited to play the games and check out the vendor stalls. She had talked about it practically the entire day before. She wouldn’t take this away from her daughter.

So Clarke got ready to go, choosing and discarding outfit after outfit, while doing her best to convince herself that the whole thing was no big deal. Besides, it wasn’t a date. Not really. Her kid was coming and would probably be meeting up with the other neighborhood kids. No, Bellamy was just being friendly and inviting her to a town event because she was new here and he was kind and a good neighbor. It was Clarke who was making this into something it wasn’t.

She needed to calm down and get herself back under control.

Madi found her an hour before Bellamy was supposed to arrive, surrounded by a sea of clothes, clearly having failed in her mission. She looked at her daughter and sighed. Madi grinned from ear to ear.

“Help?” Clarke asked, causing the girl’s grin to grow impossibly wider.

Madi plopped herself in the center of the bed, looking around at the options. After a few moments of contemplation, she held up a sapphire blue sweater embroidered with shimmery snowflakes.

“This one,” Madi said. “The snowflakes are festive but now super lame and the blue makes your eyes look pretty. Wear that with your black jeans.”

Clarke looked at her choices and smiled. “That’s a good call. Maybe you have a future in fashion.”

Madi rolled her eyes but was blushing. “Whatever. As long Bellamy likes it we can call it a win.”

Now it was Clarke’s turn to blush. “Hey!”

Madi danced her way out of the room with a smile on her face, laughing as she went.

Clarke turned toward the mirror, holding up the sweater. It really did make her eyes look nice.

And maybe Bellamy liking it wouldn’t be the worse thing. She smiled as she finished getting ready.

At seven on the dot, her doorbell rang and her heart jumped into her throat.

“He’s here!” Madi called up the stairs.

She gave herself a final once over. She had opted for a crown braid with some face-framing tendrils and a pair of diamond drop earrings that had been her mother’s to maybe bring her a bit of luck. Or at the very least, some courage.

“It’s now or never,” Clarke told herself with a deep breath before she made her way down the stairs. Her stomach was full of butterflies.

Seeing Bellamy, though, her nerves melted away. She couldn’t help the smile.

“Wow,” he said breathily, “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Clarke said, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

She couldn’t help giving him a once over, too. He was wearing a burgundy sweater over dark blue jeans and a black pea coat over the top. His smile was beaming when she met his eyes and she couldn’t help her easy smile. This man was going to be the death of her.

Madi giggling from the living room brought both of their attention back to the room and Bellamy cleared his throat.

“Alright,” he said, voice gravelly, “are you two ready to go? There’s a lot to see!”

“I can’t wait!” Madi exclaimed with an excitable Orion at her side. “Luca told me they have a massive castle made out of lights and a whole section of Disney characters too!”

“They do,” Bellamy confirmed. “And just wait until you try the food.”

“Let’s go, Clarke,” Madi exclaimed, already halfway out the door.

“Don’t forget your jacket and gloves,” Clarke told her.

“Oh yeah,” Madi said, grabbing them from the coat rack and throwing them on hastily.

Clarke just shook her head, laughing. When they got to the door of his car, Bellamy opened it for her making her laugh. The drive didn’t take long and they parked behind his shop.

“It’s convenient that you have a VIP parking spot so close to town,” Clarke teased as they got out and headed towards the lights and sounds in the distant town square.

“Benefits of being a very important member of the downtown district,” Bellamy told her with a wink.

“Obviously,” she said, making her voice as serious as she could manage without laughing.

Bellamy cocked his head toward the crowds heading into the market. “Come on, we gotta catch up with your kid.”

Clarke looked out ahead, realizing Madi was already almost to the entrance. She groaned and then laughed.

With that, Bellamy held out his arm for her. “Shall we?”

“We shall,” Clarke responded, letting her hand wrap around his impressive bicep. She couldn’t help the shiver down her spine at the feeling of the warmth that radiated off of him, his solid figure beside her.

Just let go and enjoy it.

The voice in her head had become too loud to ignore. So Clarke decided to say fuck it. She might as well enjoy herself. She was already here after all. So with her body pressed up against his, the pair made their way into the Market not too far behind Madi and Orion. As they walked, Madi kept turning back to them and grinning ear to ear, as she did her best to hold on to the excited lab.

One of her main concerns with Bellamy had always been Madi and how introducing him into their lives would affect her. But, if her behavior tonight was any indication, it certainly seemed like not only did she not mind but she was even encouraging it.

Clarke glanced at the man beside her, face illuminated in multicolor Christmas lights, and smile bright as he told her about the history of the town’s annual market and how it was based on the centuries-old tradition that had started in Germany.

Suddenly, all of her protests had begun to sound weak, even to her own ears. Even if she allowed herself to be interested, it wasn’t like she was committing herself to forever. And Madi was old enough to understand these things. Maybe it was just a year for taking risks: adopting Madi, moving away from Boston. 

Might as well add dating to the equation. The thought made her smile and snuggle deeper into Bellamy’s side, causing him to wrap his arm around his shoulder.

The first half of the market was a dizzying array of sculptures, scenes, and structures covered in lights. As promised, there was an entire area of Disney characters, including a forest of Alice in Wonderland characters. They took pictures under a rainbow tunnel, watched a light show of flashing and spiraling snowflakes, and even got to stroll through an underwater landscape of whales and fish and seals. And, of course, there were hundreds of Christmas trees, each with a different look or theme.

After walking through the nearly three miles of light displays, the three of them were starving by the time they made it to the main market of stalls.

“I’ve gotta say, “ Clarke said as they stood in line for mulled wine and bratwursts, “it’s kinda genius for their sales to stick all the food at the end of tons of walking. I bet everyone is dying for some good, old fashioned, German comfort food by now.”

“To be fair,” Bellamy said, grabbing their drinks, handing Madi her spiced hot cider first, “you can actually enter at this end of things. But I figured it was best to see the lights before introducing sugar into the mix or an already hyper twelve-year-old.”

Clarke grinned. “You have good instincts.”

“The benefit of basically raising my little sister,” he said with a shrug, taking a long drink from his wine. “I got to deal with her basically by myself throughout her entire puberty. Those kinds of lessons are hard-learned and long forgotten.”

Clarke laughed. “Well then it looks like I’m going to need a lot of help from you for the foreseeable future. It would certainly make my job of raising a strong-willed teenager easier if I don’t have to completely do it alone.”

His gaze softened and she realized the unintentional expectation in her words.

“Oh god,” she said, voice a bit higher and fast-paced than normal, “I didn’t mean to imply anything. It’s not like I think you will be helping me raise my kid. That’s crazy. All I meant-”

“Clarke,” he said, cutting her off with a hand on her arm and a wry smile. “Don’t worry. I didn’t hear anything presumptuous implied in your words. They do say it takes a village to raise a child after all. I’m happy to be there in whatever capacity you want me to be.”

A heavy quiet fell between them but all she could feel was warmth spreading throughout her. She did her best to blame it on the wine as she laced their fingers together.

“Bellamy,” she whispered.

“Food’s ready!” Madi exclaimed, breaking the moment, as she deposited tons of food on the table.

Still, Bellamy gave her a warm smile across the table as he gently let go of her hand so they could eat. She thought the moment between them would make her nervous but Bellamy had a way of making every moment between them feel comfortable and right.

It was time to stop fighting whatever this was and just let herself fall.

But for now, her task was simply to enjoy this amazing event and all of the amazing food. In addition to the brats adorned with onions, coarse ground mustard, and sauerkraut there were some deep-fried cheese ball things and a special cinnamon cake that she couldn’t pronounce the name of. Everything smelled amazing and as soon as she dug in she found that it tasted even better.

It didn’t take long for the three of them (with a bit of help from Orion) to finish off all the food and wine. They laughed about the displays they had walked through and Madi showed them the million and one pictures she had taken on her phone. They even took some time to browse the little shops.

Clarke picked up a cute new beanie made of the softest yarn she had ever felt and a new travel case for her painting supplies. Madi picked out some new, hand-molded decorations in the shape of owls for her wall and a pretty new bag for her laptop for when she started school in January. Even Bellamy managed to find some new, handcrafted pocket knife with an obsidian handle and custom leather sheath.

Finally, with all the vendor stalls explored and entirely too full of food and wine, they headed for the center of the market. There, in the very center of it all, was the most beautiful nativity scene she had ever seen. Madi was more interested in playing with her friends and Orion on the little playground the set was nestled in front of, but Clarke was entranced by what she saw in front of her.

All of the characters had been hand carved and painted in great detail. The area was dimly lit but still clear and the floor was covered in hay. The entire thing stood in a small, wooden stable with a glowing star suspended over the top. Everything was detailed and elaborate but somehow captured the feeling of awe and modesty the scene was meant to portray.

“This is incredible,” Clarke said, admiring the detail work on Mary’s headpiece. “Did you make all of this? It’s amazing work.”

“Thanks,” Bellamy said, scrubbing a hand through the back of his hair. “Although I can’t take all of the credit. Before they moved, my sister’s Fiance, Lincoln, did all of the painting.”

“Speaking as someone who has painted many carved pieces,” Clarke said, “I can tell you that if you have a shitty canvas even the best painted can’t make a masterpiece. And that’s exactly what this is. You are so talented, Bellamy.”

She took his hand in hers, smiling when his face lit up with a blush. He clearly didn’t take compliments very well. She tucked herself under his arm again, watching Madi off to the side playing with her friends, and she just let herself enjoy this perfect Christmas moment. She was here with a boy she liked who clearly liked her too, her daughter that meant the world to her, and a wonderful evening she had never expected.

She couldn’t have imagined anything better.

As the night got later and colder, Clarke knew it was time to go. It was past when Madi usually was in bed and the Market had truly begun to close up. Even Madi didn’t fight when Clarke said it was time to go.

Bellamy ran on ahead to grab the car and it was blessedly warm already by the time he picked them up. He had some soft Christmas music playing in the background and he took Clarke’s hand the moment the door closed and he got the car in drive.

They didn’t talk much on the short drive but the silence was comfortable. Clarke let her mind drift as his thumb rubbed soft circles into the back of her hand. She just felt so content, so comfortable here with Bellamy. It was easy to be with him, it felt natural.

So she decided to let herself, risks be damned.

When they pulled up to the house, she was almost sad the night had to end. They sat a moment, his hand in hers, before they finally broke apart. Clearly, he didn’t want to leave either. But all good things must come to an end and she let out a big yawn reminding her that she really did need to get to bed. 

When she looked in the backseat, Madi was already asleep. She grinned at Bellamy and nodded back to her daughter. He looked and then grinned back.

“I’ll get her,” he whispered, “you just get the front door.”

She simply nodded, not wanting to wake her. Bellamy picked Madi up easily, the girl mumbling incoherently into his shoulder making him smile. Clarke smiled too before hurrying along to the door. When she arrived, she found another gift waiting for her in her mailbox and smiled. The perfect end to the perfect night.

Clarke quickly got the door opened and led Bellamy to Madi’s room. He made himself scarce as she got Madi out of her shoes and jacket and sweater. After tucking her into bed, She made her way out of the room, closing the door gently, and going back to find Bellamy in the living room.

He was looking at her little tree when she found him. “Madi is all settled and didn’t wake once, thanks to you.”

Bellamy turned and looked at her. “Please tell me this isn’t your only tree.”

She blushed slightly. “For this year, unfortunately, it is. I just didn’t have time for a big to-do and, up until yesterday, I still had all of the boxes of Christmas ornaments in the garage.”

“This simply won’t do, Clarke,” he told her, coming up and putting his hands on her waist. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“No plans as of yet,” she said with a smile.

Then I am picking you up and we are getting a real Christmas tree,” he said, decidedly.

“Are you now?” she asked with a laugh, burying her head in his chest and looking at the tree. “It is a little pathetic, huh?”

Bellamy didn’t answer and when she pulled back to look at him he was looking at the little box on the table with an odd look on her face that she couldn’t quite place. She furrowed her brow and poked him in the ribs.

“You ok?” she asked.

He seemed to shake himself out of it but his smile seemed more strained than before. “I’m ok. Just a little more tired than I expected. But to answer your question, yes the tree is sad and I will be here by ten-thirty and we can grab coffee on the way. Sound like a plan?”

Clarke tried not to let his energy shift affect her. Maybe he was just tired, it was nearly eleven after all. “It sounds perfect.”

She hugged him goodbye and he pressed a kiss into her hair, holding on a moment too long. When she locked the door behind him, she couldn’t help already missing his presence.

Her phone dinged on the table so she took it and her new present to the couch with a smile at what she saw on the screen.

Looking forward to tomorrow  
<3 Bellamy

Clarke felt her smile split her face seeing his words. She hadn’t felt like this since high school. She felt ridiculous, giddy, and excited all at once with a healthy dose of nerves. This was just a guy. It was no big deal. And yet she felt like tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

When she finally opened the gift, the ornament made her laugh out loud.

Inside were eight women in what looked like elf costumes standing atop a cow earing silly red shoes. The entire thing was sparkly and cartoonish and she absolutely loved it. Though something about the humor felt… familiar.

Still, she couldn’t quite place it. All she knew was she had a feeling these gifts were not al all random and were coming from someone she knew. But she wasn’t going to solve it tonight.

So Clarke put the ornament on the tree and let her mind drift to thoughts of Bellamy. She was happy and determined not to be afraid.

When she checked on Madi one last time, the girl was half awake and had managed to get herself at least into pajama pants. Clarke took the time to tuck her in again, smoothing the hair back from her face.

“Clarke?” Madi’s sleep-laced voice asked. “Is Bellamy going to stay?”

Clarke couldn't help but smile. “I don’t know, sweetie,” she admitted, kissing her daughter on the forehead. “I hope so, though.”

Madi smiled but didn’t open her eyes. “I hope so too.”

The girl fell asleep while Clarke petted her hair, and smiled. Yeah, Clarke hoped Bellamy would stay.

She couldn’t wait for tomorrow.


	10. Nine Ladies Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catch me posting an unedited, just finished 10 minutes ago, not remotely polished chapter. I'm so sorry. But the beta'd version will be up probably tomorrow. But I legit hit send like 5 minutes ago. I hope those of you who read now like it anyway.
> 
> Aso, someone remind me to not start a fic 3 days before I'm meant to start posting again lol.
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy Yule!

Realistically, Bellamy knew that nine in the morning was a tad early to be knocking on his friend’s door. But after staying up half the night with thoughts whirring through his head faster than the speed of light they were honestly lucky he didn’t show up sooner.

The truth was, yesterday had been some of the most fun he’d had in ages. Being with Clarke and Madi, laughing and eating and checking out all of the lights, he had just been happy to be with her. The best part, though, had been Clarke.

Bellamy would never consider himself a particularly optimistic human. But it had to mean something that Clarke kept tucking herself under his arm, threading their fingers together, and flirting right back whenever he felt bold enough to do so. He was certain he wasn’t imagining this connection between them and that she was feeling it too.

Unfortunately, all of that connection and sense of comfort drained away when he saw the gift on her table after getting Madi settled in bed. When he saw it, his eyes found their way to her tree covered in little bird ornaments and at least one of his questions was answered.

The other half of the set was on her tree. And he had no idea what that meant.

Still, she didn’t seem suspicious or confused which meant she also had no idea. If anything, getting this answer just made a million new questions pop up. Although, he was beginning to have some suspicions.

That night he had hardly slept. He tossed and turned in his bed, realizing he was seeing her again in just a handful of hours and that she, seemingly, didn’t realize their gifts were connected. Or maybe she had known the whole time and was waiting for him to piece it together too? He really didn’t know what to think. All he knew was he was confused about these stupid gifts and his heart was full of this amazing woman who had moved in next door.

So, at nine in the morning, he found himself doing the only thing he could think of to work through all of this. He was consulting Raven.

Unfortunately, it was not Raven who answered the door.

“Bellamy?” a very confused Murphy asked when he let his friend in from the cold.

“Hey,” Bellamy responded. “I’m sorry it’s so early but I really need to talk to Raven.”

Murphy smirked. “There are a couple of problems with that sentence. One, it’s cute that you think nine is early in a household with children. I haven’t slept until nine since my honeymoon. Two, Raven isn’t here. She took the boys to Rex and Luca’s. I swear Rex’s mom is a robot because mornings don’t bother her at all. Anyways, you’re stuck with me, bro.”

Murphy led him into the living room and Bellamy sunk onto the couch, cradling his head in his hands. “You know hat, at this point, I will take whatever I can get.”

“I’ll try not to be insulted,” Murphy deadpanned.

“Here’s the thing,” Bellamy said before explaining everything to Murphy.

He told him about the ornaments, about trying to not push things with Clarke. He told him about the Market and their outing later today. He told him everything.

In the end, Bellamy already felt lighter. Murphy had been mostly silent through it all, just nodding his understanding periodically. When Bellamy finally finished, Murphy looked at him for a long moment before responding.

“Ok,” Murphy said, “let me see if I’ve got this. You have been getting mysterious packages for a couple of weeks. You hoped they were from Clarke because you have a massive crush on her. But now you know she is getting secret gifts too. But this hasn’t changed how you feel and you don’t know what to do.”

Bellamy chuckled. “That pretty much sums it up.”

“Alright,” Murphy said thoughtfully, “let me ask you this. Does it not being her giving them to you change anything? Like, are you disappointed or does it diminish your feelings or whatever?”

Bellamy thought about Clarke a moment. The way her golden hair haloed her under her beanie at the market last night. The way her cheeks flushed pink when he complimented her on something ad her smile was so wide it left dimples in her cheeks. Knowing about the gifts hadn’t changed the way he knew he was falling for her. His answer was easy.

“No,” he admitted with a huffed laugh, “it hasn’t changed it at all. I just wish I knew who was giving us these ornaments. Or more importantly, why?”

Murphy was quiet a moment before he answered, but his words made more sense than anything had this whole time. “Well maybe, whoever is gifting them to you, is hoping you will eventually join them as a set”

Bellamy made his way home not long after that, but Murphy’s words rang through his head. The ornaments were clearly part of a set. What if he was right? What if this was some elaborate scheme to get him and Clarke together? And the more important question was, did he mind?

The truth was, Bellamy would have fallen for Clarke with or without the ornaments. But he would be lying to himself if he said the curiosity of them and the confirmation that they were meant to be together didn’t ring true to his thoughts on him and Clarke.

When he made it to Clarke’s door not long later, he still hadn’t decided how he felt. But all of that melted away when he saw her.

“Hi,” she said when she opened the door and his brain took a few moments to remember how to speak.

She was wearing a gorgeous, red sweater dress with knee-high back boots and a black pea coat. Her hair fell in gentle waves just over her shoulders and her lips were a glossy cherry red.

He had never wanted to kiss someone more in his damn life.

Instead, he covered his momentary speechlessness by clearing his throat. “Good morning,” he told her with a smile. “Are you ready to get a real Christmas tree?”

“I still maintain that, while small, my tree is absolutely fair game,” she argued, stepping outside and locking the door behind her. Her smile beamed when she turned to him. “But I’m ready regardless.

Bellamy smiled as she linked her mittened fingers with his. “Well then, let’s go get you a tree.”

Despite her obvious interest, however, he knows he is being awkward the whole day. He spends the whole day tripping over his words, awkwardly silent or loud at the wrong times, and stuck in his own head. It doesn’t take long for Clarke to notice. She mentions it as they pull away from the coffee shop, drinks in hand.

“Bellamy,” she starts, “are you alright. You seem kinds of… I don’t know, jumpy I guess?”

He sighs, knowing it’s all on him. Since they met, they have never had trouble with each other. This is entirely on him and he needs to shake it if he has any chance of salvaging this day. “Sometimes it really does unsettle me how well you know me after such a short time. But I promise I am ok. I just have a lot on my mind today.”

Clarke gave him a concerned look and rested a hand on his arm. “Do you want to call it early? We really don’t have to do this. I think my tree is perfectly fine ad the last thing I would want to be is a burden to you.”

“No,” Bellamy responded without hesitation. “ The absolute last thing I want to do is end this day and you are anything but a burden. Trust me, being with you even if I’m a little stuck in my own head is better than any alternative that involves us being apart. Believe me, you are anything but a burden.”

Clarke’s face was as red as a tomato and he realized how serious his words sounded. But he refused to take them back. Being with Clarke was the best part of his day every time and he refused to be ashamed of that.

“Alright,” Clarke said with a nervous but happy sounding laugh. “Then let’s go get me a Christmas tree.”

With that, any lingering doubt or nervousness faded away. It was the first time they had been together by themselves and they had a great time. They looked at a million trees before finding the one and she laughed as he did his best to strap it down to the top of his car. They made it back to her place and she cleared him a spot to set up the tree.

Together they decorated with tinsel and baubles, lights and garland, and of course, Clarke’s half of the ornaments. This time, however, seeing the ornaments didn’t scare him. They simply strengthened his resolve that he was doing the right thing and that being with Clarke was the best end result for everyone.

Even their weird secret Santa.

As they got the last of the ornaments hung where Clarke expertly coordinated, Madi made it home from her day with her friends.

“Oh my god,” the girl exclaimed, immediately dropping her backpack in the entryway and making her way over to the tree. “This looks amazing! I can’t believe you guys did all this!”

“Well,” Clarke said, reaching for a box behind her, “we left the most important part for you.”

As she presented the box, Bellamy saw the tears spring to Madi’s eyes. Inside was a little brass angel, clearly homemade.

Madi looked up as tears fell down her cheeks. “Where did you get this?”

“The home you were in gave it to me,” Clarke admitted. She turned to Bellamy to explain. “Madi’s parents died in a fire quite a while ago. Unfortunately, not much survived. But this angel was found in the garage when they finished their investigation. I got it from them the last time I was in the city.”

Madi threw her arms around Clarke’s waist. “Thank you so much.”

Bellamy couldn’t help feeling like he was intruding, but then Madi’s hand found his and he couldn’t help being pulled into the moment. Besides, it wasn’t like he didn’t know a thing or two about losing parents.

“I have an idea,” Bellamy said. “Why don’t you put the angel on the top of the tree? Then it can be like your parents are part of this Christmas too.”

“But I’m too short, Madi pouted.

“Then I guess I have to help you,” Bellamy replied.

With that, he scooped the girl up in his arms, lifting her so she could reach the top of the tree. She laughed heartily as she arranged the angel in place before he lowered her to the ground. The second her feet touched the ground she threw her arms around his waist. His eyes et Clarke’s, full of tears, and any lingering doubt faded away.

He wanted to be a part of their lives. Being beside these two amazing women was where he belonged. He had never been more sure of anything in his life.

The night didn’t go on long from there. Madi headed to bed and Clarke’s yawns betrayed how tired she was, despite her protests. But Bellamy wasn’t in a hurry. They had all the time in the world.

The truth was, he was also exhausted. It had been a long day with way too many emotions. As he made his way back into his house, he decided to just let Orion out in the backyard. He had gotten a big walk in the afternoon so he would be fine until tomorrow.

As he tucked himself into bed his dreams were filled with Clarke and the possible future they could have.

It didn’t even occur to him that he had forgotten to check his mailbox before he headed inside, the gift being carelessly left behind.


End file.
